The most recent change in vocational didactics education in Denmark can be seen as a natural consequence of the Bologna process (Duch & Rasmussen, 2016). However, a revised teacher education does not necessarily result in new didactics at vocational schools. Moreover, individual teachers assess which didactic knowledge is relevant in their local context. This paper presents an empirically based analysis of teachers’ didactic considerations during classes and during preparation, as well as the knowledge base from the teacher education that teachers refer to.

The historical roots of didactics can be traced back to Socrates. Didactics concern systematic reflection about how to organize teaching and about student development (Herrera, 2015). Hopmann defines three central elements in didactics: a commitment to Bildung, the educative difference between matter and meaning, and the autonomy of teaching and learning (Hopmann, 2007, p. 121). It is common to distinguish theoretically between an American didactics tradition called curriculum and a German tradition with emphasis on Bildung.

Conceptions of didactics can be studied in different ways. Didactics can be understood as containing practical skills, reflections about practice and ethics (Tyson, 2016). However, our empirical knowledge about didactics and VET is limited, and Herrera proposes additional research on the relation between the two (Herrera, 2015). Herrera points out that it is not important whether it is described as a special didactics (Herrera, 2015). Vocational didactics can be seen as containing core assumptions that relate to a vocation, its culture and practice as well as students’ life phases and changes in the work life (Gessler & Herrera, 2015).

Based on an understanding of didactics as a relatively autonomous task for teachers (cf. Hopmann), the individual teacher’s competences are key to the profession. The theoretical foundation of the article is Bourdieu’s sociology of education (Bourdieu, 1996). In addition, Dale’s three competence levels for the professional teacher (Dale, 1989) are applied as concepts in the analysis of teachers’ socialization to didactics. Dale builds on Schön’s understanding of time and space for reflection (Schön, 2013).

Dale talks about three competence levels, C1, C2 and C3. At C1, the teacher conducts daily teaching with focus on targeted learning, education of and care for students as well as communication with students. At C1, teachers are subjected to act. At C2, the teacher plans and evaluates the teaching, which includes the ability to “identify problems,” “conduct surveys,” and “think in concepts” (Dale, 1998, p. 211). At C2, the force to act is somewhat reduced, and the temporal distance between action and considerations is longer than at C1. C3 rests on the professional foundation, i.e., research-based theoretical knowledge, comprehension of the theory of science, systematic questions and an alienation in relation to C1 and C2, which are productive.

Since the paper has a sociological point of departure, the competence levels are used as analytical terms in relation to the vocational teachers’ didactics based on their professional post-grad teacher training. The understanding is that the training is based on knowledge from research and development projects in the profession and that the six exams `force´ the students to work at this level. In practice, however, the work consists of teaching and preparation, potentially across the competence levels. The paper asks the following question: What is the relation between teaching, preparation and competence levels for vocational teachers?

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